Sister of terrorist Dalal Mughrabi explains background to delay in establishment of square in Ramallah named after her

Al-Hadath, Palestinian news website
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Mar. 11, 2019

Headline: “Who is fighting Martyr Dalal Mughrabi in Ramallah?”
“For eight years the inauguration of Martyr (Shahida) Dalal Mughrabi (i.e., terrorist who led murder of 37, 12 of them children) Square in the Um Al-Sharayet area of Ramallah has been postponed. Despite the establishment of the square and the preparations for all that is befitting of the Martyrs, Rashida Mughrabi – the sister of Martyr Dalal – received a phone call that she described as ‘rephrehensible.’ In the call it was said that ‘The inauguration of the square has been postponed until further notice.’
Mughrabi explained to [independent Palestinian weekly paper] Al-Hadath that at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010, they began to work on establishing Martyr Dalal Mughrabi Square following an agreement with the El-Bireh Municipality and with the [Ramallah and El-Bireh] district. The preparations for the square ended at the time of the anniversary of Dalal’s death as a Martyr, and it was proposed that the inauguration take place on that anniversary, but then she [Rashida Mughrabi] received a call in which it was demanded to postpone the inauguration due to the Israelis’ threat to invade the city and destroy the square. However, she insisted and inaugurated [the square] in the presence of a small number of activists in Ramallah.
She added: ‘Every year, the family and some young people commemorate the anniversary of [Dalal’s] Martyrdom-death and the operation. The anniversary is not commemorated by the official echelon, which is supposed to initiate its commemoration due to Dalal’s Palestinian symbolism. Last year [2018] the anniversary was commemorated together with the Yasser Arafat F oundation, the first official and national institution that held a ceremony to commemorate [the anniversary], and this was at the Yasser Arafat Museum.’
Mughrabi explained that [the monument at] Martyr Dalal Mughrabi Square has been shattered more than once, and that anonymous young people are the ones who did it. She added that the restoration has been undertaken in a personal-family effort.
Mughrabi said: ‘The district, the [Fatah] branch, and the relevant institutions could have clarified who shattered [the monument], because there are cameras… but despite the district’s promises to investigate the matter, until now this anonymous party has not been exposed.’
According to Mughrabi, ‘During meetings of the Fatah Movement it has been promised to restore [the monument], and contact about the matter was made with Fatah Central Committee member Jamal Muhaisen.’
She noted that the monument and square were restored a few days ago, and that they have worked diligently on inaugurating the square at the time of the anniversary of Dalal’s death as a Martyr. She also said that the effort was made through the Fatah Revolutionary Council and [Fatah’s] Ramallah branch.
Mughrabi explained: ‘Yesterday, Sunday [March 10, 2019], I called the Revolutionary Council secretary in order to clarify about the distribution of the invitations, and I was surprised to discover that the invitations had not been distributed.’ She added that she contacted the organization, which informed her that the inauguration had been postponed because [Fatah’s Ramallah and El-Bireh District Branch Secretary] Muwaffaq Sahwil had received an order according to which the inauguration would not be taking place.
Mughrabi emphasized that despite what has happened, she will work for the inauguration of the square together with the patriotic activists.
Fatah’s Ramallah and El-Bireh District [Branch] Secretary Muwaffaq Sahwil explained that the postponement was done at the request of the leadership because it is busy, and that the inauguration will be held in the coming days. Sahwil explained to Al-Hadath that the postponement is connected to the presence of [public] figures [at the inauguration], and that because they are busy the inauguration has been postponed.
Regarding the shattering of the square (sic., monument) in previous years, Sahwil said that there are ‘anonymous parties who did this,’ and that ‘work has been carried out for its restoration.’
Regarding the insistence of Rashida Mughrabi, Martyr Dalal Mughrabi’s sister, that the inauguration take place on Monday at precisely 3:30 p.m., he emphasized that Fatah is the one that did this, and that she cannot act alone on the matter.
It should be noted that in March 2016, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his country’s ambassador to the UN to submit a complaint against the PA due to the fact that it celebrates the anniversary of Mughrabi’s death as a Martyr.”Click to view bulletin

Jamal Muhaisen also holds the following positions: Fatah Commissioner of Mobilization and Organization in the West Bank and PLO Central Council member.

Dalal Mughrabi – female Palestinian terrorist who led the most lethal terror attack in Israel’s history, known as the Coastal Road massacre, in 1978, when she and other Fatah terrorists hijacked a bus on Israel's Coastal Highway, murdering 37 civilians, 12 of them children, and wounding over 70.

The Yasser Arafat Foundation is, according to the foundation’s website, "an independent and non-profit organization" that "receives governmental support and undertakes functions of governmental nature related to the preservation of the heritage of the [late PLO] President [Arafat]." The foundation emphasizes that "it enjoys legal, fiscal, and administrative independence," despite the fact that they receive "governmental allocations" of funding. Likewise, the "honorary president" of the foundation "is the president of the Executive Committee of the PLO/President of the Palestinian National Authority" - meaning the current foundation president is PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The honorary president approves membership on the foundation's Board of Trustees. At the time of writing, PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah is on the Board of Directors, and several PA, Fatah, and PLO officials are on the Board of Trustees.
The foundation was established in 2007 via Presidential decree. [The Yasser Arafat Foundation, http://www.yaf.ps/?url=posts/show/541/The_Foundation, accessed March, 2019]